Motown the Musical to close in the West End next year
The West End production of Motown the Musical will close at the Shaftesbury Theatre next April after a run that has lasted more than three years.
With a book by the founder of the Motown record label Berry Gordy, the musical, which features songs from across the label's back catalogue, opened at the theatre in February 2016 starring Cedric Neal, Lucy St. Louis, Sifiso Mazibuko, and Obioma Ugoala.
It is set to play its final performance in the West End on 20th April 2019.
Telling the story of the label's formation and biggest acts, the jukebox musical features songs by the likes of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye.
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, the musical premiered on Broadway in April 2013 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre where it ran for 776 performances.
In a four-star review of the show when it opened in London, Mark Shenton wrote: "Charles Randolph-Wright's slick, sleek production, with exhilarating choreography of non-stop movement by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams and an amazing band under the musical direction of Gareth Weedon, makes the music come alive in sound, motion and emotion".
The current cast of Motown features Jay Perry as Berry Gordy, Natalie Kassanga as Diana Ross, Carl Spencer as Marvin Gaye and David Allbury as Smokey Robinson.
Motown the Musical is at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 20th April 2019.
Motown the Musical tickets are available now.
Originally published on